Centenary United Methodist Church

Mankato, Minnesota

January 13-15, 2017

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The Missional Church Consultation Initiative (MCCI) Team would like to thank Pastor Michelle Hargrave and the leadership of Centenary United Methodist Church for your hospitality this weekend and for the privilege of teaming with you. Our prayer is that God will use this process to focus and maximize the potential of your congregation for fruitfulness for Christ. Centenary embodies numerous resources and strengths ideally suited for next-level transformational ministry, as well as some concerns that need to be addressed in order for the church to move forward.

Strengths 1. Location and Building.

Centenary is located in downtown Mankato. Its location places the congregation in close proximity to downtown businesses, to the area of downtown that is being redeveloped and to those who make the streets their home. The facility provides more than adequate space for Centenary’s ministries and several groups that share a compatible mission. Providing space for likeminded community groups has been an ongoing practice of this congregation.

2. Our Values. Centenary UMC is a reconciling congregation that practices a progressive theology. The inclusion of all persons is a value that shapes the life and ministry of the congregation. Thinking is valued, and diverse opinions are welcome. Ministries of outreach, compassion and justice receive priority. Children and youth are also valued.

3. Ministry with the Hungry and Homeless. The congregation’s values have been put into practice in the Holy Grounds ministry. Seven days a week, 52 weeks a year, persons who are hungry—many of whom are homeless—are welcomed into the church and receive a nourishing breakfast. Holy Grounds provides a safe place for individuals to rest, be part of relationships and discover that they too are valued. Increasingly, guests are asking for prayer and/or are attending worship.

4. Strong Leadership and Membership. Pastors Michelle Hargrave and Erica Koser provide skilled leadership for the congregation and are appreciated as persons and as pastoral leaders. The quality preaching was praised by members of the congregation and mystery worshipers alike. Pastor Erica leads Discipleship and Justice Ministries with passion and dedication. The congregation continues to live out a historical legacy of being both brave and resilient in the face of change, cherishing close and supportive relationships together. Repeatedly the church’s lay leaders have made decisions based upon their values of inclusion and justice for all, and for the church’s ministries of outreach and compassion.

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5. The Arts. The arts, particularly music, drama and photography, contribute richly to the life of the congregation. Individuals with gifts and skills in these areas are given the opportunity to share and receive appreciation from the congregation. Music of all kinds is valued. The drama ministry helps members of the congregation and community to think about challenging social issues. The work of photographers not only adorns the walls but assists others to see with new eyes.

Concerns 1. Lack of Systems to Welcome Guests Consistently.

Some mystery worshippers visiting Centenary identified a series of issues related to their experiences of not feeling noticed prior to worship and following worship. During the MCCI weekend, both lay and clergy leaders reported concerns that the strong systems needed to consistently welcome and follow up with guests who could later become new members are missing. Given the congregation’s concern about steady decline in worship attendance at Centenary UMC over recent years, providing guests a warm welcome so they will want to return is a critical need.

2. Holy Grounds: Volunteer Capacity. The number of persons whose lives have been impacted by the Holy Grounds ministry has grown significantly. The word is out that Centenary provides a nourishing breakfast for hungry persons. Currently, however, concern exists that paid staff plus a few people are carrying most of the responsibility while various volunteers assist as able. The number of volunteers invested in every aspect of this ministry must grow if burnout is to be avoided and numerical, relational and spiritual growth is to continue.

3. Discipleship. Although the congregation generously responds to needs and serves when asked, many Centenary members also desire more opportunities to deepen their faith, and to think together and engage theologically.

4. Inviting Others. Repeatedly throughout the MCCI weekend, members and leaders said that they deeply desire to reach those in the surrounding community who are churchless, but need a better and more effective strategy for invitation.

5. Future Focus. A frequent concern voiced to the MCCI team is the uncertainty about how and where to focus collective time and energy in the next chapter of the church’s life, ensuring that “Vision stays in the driver’s seat”—a phrase from the MCCI Saturday seminar. Many options exist and members discuss them frequently, but no current strategy is in place to help the congregation clarify the options and also to ensure the church is staffed adequately for its future.

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Prescriptions 1. Putting Ministry in the Hands of the People: Extravagant Welcome.

Upon acceptance of this report, Pastor Michelle and the church council will identify and assemble a new Extravagant Welcome Team by or before March 2017 to help Centenary prepare to effectively communicate with new visitors, welcome them and assimilate them into congregational life.

With the guidance of a prescription coach, the Extravagant Welcome Team will create and implement systems to ensure that each newcomer to Centenary experiences radical hospitality upon arrival and receives an invitation to return. With the coach's guidance, the Extravagant Welcome Team will recruit and train other needed servant sub-teams so that this entire new system is fully functional by or before June 2017. The Extravagant Welcome Team will also train all existing greeters and usher teams so that everyone is working in alignment as Centenary welcomes new guests. The Extravagant Welcome Team will implement the new systems for welcoming newcomers to events and activities across the entire congregation by or before fall 2017. As a result, each ministry (including children and youth ministries) will begin to extend the same excellent welcome, follow-up and invitation to each guest at all ministry events.

A Social Media Team identified by Pastor Michelle and the church council by or before March 2017 will also receive prescription coaching, so that Centenary's social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and other platforms is strategic and current, effectively representing the church and communicating about the church to its community and beyond. Having completed the coaching, the Social Media Team will begin leveraging proactive social media on behalf of Centenary by or before May 2017.

In order to provide an immediate connection point for guests, Pastor Michelle and the church council will assemble a “First Friends” Team by or before April 2017. MCCI leadership will train this team to implement a “First Friends” initiative that invites and connects newcomers into new short-term small relational groups for forming friendships with others like themselves. Finding new friendships within the congregation is a crucial first step for assimilation into congregational life. The new “First Friends” initiative will be operative and ongoing by or before June 2017.

The Centenary team currently responsible for the church website (with additional team members added as needed) will seek short-term professional assistance to troubleshoot the audio quality of Centenary weekly worship services available online and make certain a solution is implemented by or before July 2017. The church council will make certain that funds are available for the needed solution, so that online guests may receive the best quality experience possible.

The Centenary team currently responsible for the church’s signage upgrades will continue its work (and form any new sub-teams needed) as it makes the property as user-friendly as possible for new guests—such as by making it clearer how to find the church’s parking lot. This team may also consider a possible redesign/rebranding of the church’s graphic “look” and logo on signage, print and electronic materials to create consistency; a potential update of the black lettering of the church’s name on the outside of the building for a more relevant and distinctive appearance; and upgrades of any other visual aspects that will help Centenary become uniquely recognizable to the community. This work will be complete by or before fall 2017.

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So that the strongest and most appealing, extravagant welcome for guests is visible at the heart of the building, Pastor Michelle and the church council will assemble a Kitchen/the Commons Remodel Team immediately upon acceptance of this report. The work of this team will be to dream, research, obtain cost estimates and create a proposal for the remodel and update of the church kitchen and the Commons so that both spaces offer the highest level of hospitality and welcome to church members, Holy Grounds guests and all other attendees of the congregational and community activities taking place in that space. This will include tables, chairs and other furnishings as needed, as well as design and décor so that a truly outstanding atmosphere of hospitality is offered in the Commons. The team will bring its proposal and cost estimate to the church council and Trust Team by or before May 2017, and, pending approval, the work will commence as soon as possible. All remodeling and updating of the kitchen and the Commons will be complete by or before Advent 2017.

2. Putting Ministry in the Hands of the People: Holy Grounds. Upon the acceptance of this report, the following steps will be taken in order to ensure that the Holy Grounds ministry continues to deepen and grow its impact:

• Over the next calendar year, Pastor Erica and Jaime will use their gifted leadership to recruit, train, organize and deploy at least 50 regular volunteers to serve on hands-on teams that support every aspect of Holy Grounds. These may include a team that accomplishes the needed grocery shopping for the breakfast supplies, as well as creating more volunteer capacity on both existing and new additional teams. Both Centenary members and volunteers from the community who share a passion to serve the hungry should be welcomed to serve, thus providing another entry point for new persons into Centenary. This will establish the Holy Grounds as a ministry that involves the service of a growing number of volunteers, and will free part of Pastor Erica’s time for the following steps.

• Pastor Erica and the Justice team (in consultation with Pastor Michelle) will dream and explore possibilities to enhance the Holy Grounds Ministry in the spirit of extravagant welcome. Ideas for consideration include enhancing the environment and service so that guests literally experience the daily breakfast atmosphere of a quality coffee shop, possibly creating Breakfast Church “Church” so that guests have the opportunity to worship together if they wish, giving guests frequent and various opportunities to serve within the ministries of Centenary, and exploring ongoing ways to identify and compassionately address spiritual hunger as well as physical hunger within the Holy Grounds ministry. Pastor Erica and the Justice Team will form any additional servant teams within the Holy Grounds ministry needed to accomplish the new ideas, and will put together a timeline for implementation to be shared with the church council. A prescription coach will be provided if needed.

• By or before January 2018, Pastors Erica and Michelle, along with other Centenary leaders, will help give leadership to the downtown Mankato community to discern next steps in effectively addressing the issues of homelessness and poverty in the community.

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3. Putting Ministry in the Hands of the People: Going Deeper. In the spring and again in the fall for the next two years, Pastor Michelle will select a book or resource that she believes will challenge and encourage the spiritual growth of the congregation. The book chosen each time will be used for a 4- to 6-week churchwide study and will be used by every existing class and small group, by the youth ministry and (specially adapted for use) in the children’s ministry. New, short-term small study groups led by church council members will also be offered for those not in an existing class or small group, with the goal being that at least 80% of the congregation participates. Pastor Michelle will also provide a sermon series on the book’s theme to support the churchwide study each time, thus providing spiritual leadership as members of the church family grow and mature in faith together.

The 501 Breakthrough Prayer initiative will continue and expand, with specific prayers focused around each of the MCCI prescriptions and the ongoing work of implementation.

4. Putting Ministry in the Hands of the People: Through Spirituality, Justice and the Arts.

The following steps will be taken upon acceptance of this report, in order to help “put Centenary on the map” for those in the Mankato community with spiritual and intellectual hunger, and to create exciting reasons for the Centenary congregation to invite friends, family members and coworkers to come with them to church:

• Pastor Michelle and the Church Growth Team, with the guidance of a prescription coach, will plan and carry out four to six events or activities each year for at least the next two years that touch the spiritual and/or intellectual interests of the community. These may include notable national speakers with progressive values or theology, concert or lecture series, hands-on creative activities and drama ministry.

• Each of the events or activities will be planned for the purpose of building relationships with the community. Invitation cards or other items will be prepared and distributed to the Centenary congregation to use when inviting those they know.

• These events and activities will offer the same excellent new systems of extravagant welcome and follow-up for newcomers that were developed in prescription #1 of this report.

• Each event or activity will be planned within the Triad ministry concept (from the MCCI training), which creates momentum with guest connections. This means that at least two follow-up activities will be offered soon after each of these events, to which the newcomers could be invited to return.

5. Putting Ministry in the Hands of the People: Future Focus. To help Centenary move into a position of strategic preparation for the future, the following teams will be identified and activated.

In spring/summer 2017, Pastor Michelle and the church council will identify a Strategic Facilities/Property Task Force that will conduct research and prepare recommendations, timelines and an order of priority for the following improvements (plus any other potential improvements or larger building maintenance anticipated):

• Expanded church parking solutions, which might include the purchase of neighboring properties that could provide the needed space

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• Cost-efficient options for “brightening” the first floor

• Heritage Room upgrades

• Technology and video improvements

• A potential capital campaign to provide funding for part or all of these and other property needs

The work of the task force will be completed by or before November 1, 2017, to be brought to the church council and Trust Team for approval and subsequent deployment.

The SPRC Team and Pastor Michelle will prepare a proposal for future staffing needs (including a proposed timeline) in order to best support the prescription work of this report and more. Strong areas of children/youth/family ministry are of paramount importance. The future staffing priorities proposal and timeline will be brought to the church council for review and approval by or before August 2017.

On a date of her own choosing, Pastor Michelle will assemble a new “City Center” Feasibility Study Team. The purpose of this team will be to study the feasibility of any and every future option for Centenary in downtown Mankato and to dream about what Centenary could be and do in the future that would be strategic for the mission of Christ, address specific issues of social justice and establish Centenary as Mankato’s premiere ministry center for spiritual renewal, reconciliation and hope.

Immediate Governance Decision Steps

The congregation will hold at least three Town Hall Meetings within the next 30 days to discuss these prescriptions:

1. Sunday, January 29 at noon

2. Wednesday, February 8 at 6:30 p.m.

3. Thursday, February 9 at 7 p.m.

Facilitators for these Town Hall Meetings will be identified by Pastor Michelle in conjunction with the MCCI Team.

The congregation will vote on this report to either embrace or reject it in its entirety at an official church conference led by the district superintendent on Sunday, February 19 at noon.

If embraced by a 75% or more vote of the official membership present, the MCCI will designate prescription coaches and team with Centenary to implement these prescriptions.

If the prescriptions are rejected, the MCCI partnership process and resourcing will cease.

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Respectfully Submitted by:

Rev. Sue Nilson Kibbey, Director of the Missional Church Consultation Initiative (MCCI) Rev. Marilyn Spurrell, Lead Pastor of First United Methodist Church, Fargo, ND Rev. Roy Caudill, MCCI Consultant Rev. Elizabeth Macaulay, Lead Pastor of Christ United Methodist Church, Rochester, MN